USA - Country superstars Brooks & Dunn wrapped their 2025 Neon Moon Tour at the end of April with a lighting package from Bandit Lites. The Country Music Hall of Fame duo followed up their 2019 Reboot album with Reboot II in 2024, introducing a new generation to country music’s greatest hits.
“It is an absolute pleasure to once again be working with the iconic duo of Brooks & Dunn and their team,” said Bandit Lites client representative Allen Deneau. “Bandit and Brooks & Dunn have been together putting out great show after great show together for what seems like forever, and this year was no different. I appreciate that they lean on us, decade after decade, to provide a great rig and an even better crew to make it all happen. This is a fun partnership.”
With fans clamouring to see Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn in concert, Matthieu Larivée from Luz Studio worked to incorporate the lighting with large, wide screens to give the audience an immersive experience.
“It was important to extend that surface graphically and avoid having random lighting positions and fixture types,” said Larivée. “The first upstage truss had to blend that screen with the rest of the lighting, so the truss follows the wedge shape of the screen, and it is populated with only one brand of light.”
“The rig matches very well to the design concept of Luz Studios,” said Deneau. “It brought a real honky-tonk feel to the big stage and creates some amazing looks.”
Three straight trusses were on automated motors, creating a club vibe during the show and matching the height of the video content. Ayrton CosmoPix offered the rig’s punch, so the lighting cuts through the band’s massive arena venues with their rotating mirror ball configurations.
Bandit Lites supplied over 400ft of truss and 350 fixtures for the tour, including Ayrton MagicDot-R, Ayrton CosmoPix, Claypaky Midi-B FX, Elation Paladins, Elation KL CYC, Martin MAC Viper Profiles, ADJ Jolt Bar FX 2 and VL 3600 IP.
VL 3600s provided back spot (primarily with no colour), keeping focus on the band. An array of Ayrton MagicDots were positioned under the riser, giving a call back to the iconic 90s style lighting look. MagicDots were placed behind the blown through wall, creating an additional layer of the same product and merging well with the tour’s stunning video content, while Martin MAC Vipers on the overhead trusses acted as standard lighting beams.
“The Claypaky Midi-B FX along the video wall stood out since the top of the fixture is great to lose the pixel look of the washes, creating a PAR can look,” said Larivée. “The LED rings on the top were also great eye candy. Without being too modern, we created unique positions of those moments where the only light used was those graphic elements.”
This tour is just one of several collaborations Luz Studio has done with Bandit Lites. Larivée praised the design process with Bandit’s team saying, “Dizzy Gosnell was great, and he provided solutions. The LD Carter Hopkins and the crew under Scot Sepe was also very supportive.”
“The team of Carter Hopkins, Scot Sepe, Scott Wesson and Jacob Cottrell have been nothing short of amazing and we couldn’t be prouder of them,” finished Deneau. “It’s always a pleasure working with the Luz design team in working through the details and finally getting a great rig together to accomplish their vision that packs and travels well but also looks amazing.”
